More Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing The Lord s Prayer Matthew 6:9 13 Luke 11:1 4 Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, pp. 102 110 1 1
The strength of Christ was in prayer.... Christ retired to the groves or mountains with the world and everything else shut out. He was alone with His Father. With intense earnestness, He poured out His supplications, and put forth all the strength of His soul in grasping the hand of the Infinite. When new and great trials were before Him, He would steal away to the solitude of the mountains, and pass the entire night in prayer to His Heavenly Father. {Pr 169.1 } 2 2
Jesus, when preparing for some great trial or some important work, would resort to the solitude of the mountains and spend the night in prayer to His Father. A night of prayer preceded the ordination of the apostles and the Sermon on the Mount, the transfiguration, the agony of the judgment hall and the cross, and the resurrection glory. {MH 509.1} 3 3
... if we imitate His example in earnest, importunate prayer to God that we may have strength in His name who never yielded to the temptations of Satan to resist the devices of the wily foe, we shall not be overcome by him. { Pr 169.2} 4 4
Prayer, faithful, earnest prayer will move the arm that moves the world. {PaM 183.1} 5 5
He spent whole nights in prayer upon the lonely mountains, not because of His weakness and His necessities, but because He saw, He felt, the weakness of your natures to resist the temptations of the enemy... He knew that you would be indifferent in regard to your dangers and would not feel your need of prayer. It was on our account that He poured out His prayers to His Father with strong cries and tears. It was to save us... that those tears were shed and that our Saviour s visage was marred with sorrow and anguish more than any of the sons of men. {3T 379.2} 6 6
Examples of his prayers Matthew 6:9 13 Luke 11:1 4 John 17 Matthew 26:39 7 7
How did Jesus pray? Mark 1:35 a great while before day he went to a solitary place Mark 6:46 alone on a mountain Luke 6:12 all night Hebrews 5:7 with strong crying and tears 8 8
What did Jesus pray? For his enemies Thy will be done That his disciples might be sanctified through truth (John 17:17) For strength to endure trials and to perform daily duties 9 9
Prayer is... Communion with God, the fountain of wisdom and the source of strength, peace, and happiness 10 10
We are to pray without ceasing make known our requests to God pray for one another make a hedge about our children by earnest prayer pray that God will abide with them and that holy angels with guard them have a fixed time for morning and evening worship consecrate our children to God every morning lay our plans before God (ChC 152) 11 11
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Our Father Jesus is our brother. (Hebrews 2:11) God loves us as he loves Jesus. (John 17:23) Since we are all his children, we are all brothers and sisters. Acknowledging that we are his children is also acknowledging that we need him to guide us as a wise father. As children we will hold his honor, his character, his family, his work as objects of our highest interest. 14 14
Hallowed Be Thy Name Means you want God s name to be hallowed in you, i.e., for you to possess his character. His name is hallowed by the angels of heaven and by the inhabitants of unfallen worlds. It also means that you will speak of God with reverence, that you will never take lightly his titles or appellations, and that you will come into his presence with reverence. 15 15
Thy Kingdom Come We are to work for the upbuilding of God s kingdom.... as we give ourselves to God, and win other souls to Him, we hasten the coming of His kingdom (MB 121). The kingdom of God s grace is now being established as day by day hearts that have been full of sin and rebellion yield to the sovereignty of his love (MB 120).... the full establishment of the kingdom of His glory will not take place until the second coming of Christ to this world (MB 120). 16 16
Thy Will Be Done in Earth, As It Is in Heaven The will of God is in his law. This request is a prayer that the reign of evil on this earth may be ended and that sin will be forever destroyed. 17 17
Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread We are given sufficient for the day, and we are not to be dismayed if we do not have sufficient for tomorrow. What God gives us is not for ourselves alone. God gives to us that we may feed the hungry. This prayer includes spiritual food. We are to pray that God s Spirit will reveal truth to us and will open God s word to our understanding. 18 18
Forgive Us Our Sins We receive forgiveness from God only as we forgive others; we are not to cherish grievances and sympathize with ourselves over our injuries. God s forgiveness is not just a judicial act that sets us free from condemnation, but it reclaims us from sin and transforms our hearts. 19 19
Lead Us Not into Temptation In this prayer we surrender ourselves to the guidance of God, asking him to lead us in safe paths. We cannot offer this prayer in sincerity and then walk in paths of our own choosing. If we venture on Satan s ground, we have no assurance of protection from his power. 20 20
Thine Is The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory This means our Father is above all power, aboe all authority, and above every name that is named. We are directed to look above all the power and dominion of evil unto the Lord our God, whose kingdom ruleth over all. Sweetly to us, as to the disciples, comes the assurance that God s kingdom rules over all. The coming events are in his hands. He has the destiny of nations, as well as the concerns of his church, in his charge. 21 21
He who is the King, the Lord of hosts, sitteth between the cherubim, and amid the strife and tumult of nations He guards His children still. He who ruleth in the heavens is our Saviour. He measures every trial, He watches the furnace fire that must test every soul. When the strongholds of kings shall be overthrown, when the arrows of wrath shall strike through the hearts of His enemies, His people will be safe in His hands. (MB 121) 22 22
The True Spirit of Prayer (COL 142 145) We are to ask that we may give our prayers are not to be selfish. We are to ask blessings from God that we may communicate to others. There are conditions to answered prayer, in other words, obedience. Prayer can never take the place of duty and obedience to the conditions of the promise we are claiming. In fact we insult God if we present him promises to him and ask him to fulfill them and fail to comply with the conditions. 23 23
Self-examination When we make requests of God, he may see that it is necessary for us to search our hearts and repent of sin. If we have grieved or wounded someone, we must confess our fault and seek reconciliation. This is essential to answered prayer. We must be honest with God in our tithes and offerings. This is his provision to sustain the preaching of the gospel.... If we are unfaithful stewards of earthly things, how can we expect Him to entrust us with the things of heaven? It may be that here is the secret of unanswered prayer. (144) 24 24
Persistence Unwearyingly persist in prayer. Having asked according to His word, we should believe His promise and press our petitions with a determination that will not be denied (145) God does not say ask once, and you shall receive. We are to ask, to seek, to knock! And we are to trust in the power of God. Talk and act as if your faith was invincible (147). 25 25
God s Willingness to Hear and Answer (146) God is not far away, but near. He longs to have your reach after him. He longs to have you expect great things from him. He longs to give you understanding in temporal as well as in spiritual matters. He can sharpen the intellect and give you tact and skill. 26 26
Plead for the Holy Spirit. Many long to help others, but feel they have no spiritual strength or light to impart to others. This is when you plead for the Holy Spirit. We must not only pray in Christ s name, but by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. This explains what is meant when it is said that the Spirit maketh intercession for us, with groanings which cannot be uttered. Rom. 8:26. Such prayer God delights to answer. 27 27
When with earnestness and intensity we breathe a prayer in the name of Christ, there is in that very intensity a pledge from God that He is about to answer our prayer exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. Eph 3:20. (147) 28 28
The life of Christ has shown what humanity can do by being partaker of the divine nature. All that Christ received from God we too may have. Then ask and receive. With the persevering faith of Jacob, with the unyielding persistence of Elijah, claim for yourself all that God has promised. (149) 29 29
That prayer which comes forth from an earnest, believing heart is the effectual, fervent prayer that availeth much. God does not always answer our prayers as we expect, for we may not ask what would be for our highest good; but in His infinite love and wisdom He will give us those things which we most need. (4T 531) 30 30
Genuine prayer is always heard; but the answer is sometimes delayed, that the suppliant may with intensity press his request. If we persevere, we shall gain experience of highest value, that will never be forgotten. None who wait on the Lord will ever be confounded. Sometimes the answer will come so manifestly that we shall be surprised. The blessing will bring gladness to our souls, and call forth praise to our God. We shall realize the fulfillment of the promise, Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. (YI, March 23, 1893 par. 6) 31 31
It is a part of God s plan to grant us, in answer to the prayer of faith, that which He would not bestow did we not thus ask. (GC 525.2) 32 32
Every soul has the privilege of stating to the Lord his own special necessities and to offer his individual thanksgiving for the blessings that he daily receives. But the many long and spiritless, faithless prayers that are offered to God, instead of being a joy to Him, are a burden. (9T 278) 33 33
Jesus spent many hours in prayer to his heavenly Father. The disciples saw this and were amazed. If only they could pray like that! Lord, they begged, us to (Luke 11:1) 34 34